When it comes to podcasting, it is not Audio vs. Video. It's Both. But you need to get the audio right. New research is showing that 49% of people consuming YouTube podcasts and simply “listening” to the video show. So you need to get the audio side of the show right if you want to have any chance at all of success.

What's Below

• It’s Audio First

• Live on the Internet Last Week

• The Best Thing I Listened to This Week

• Todd Cochrane Will Be Missed

• Do You Want To Be On The Show?

  • Voice Over Work

It’s Audio First

There are things that frustrate me. I have long been irritated by the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications’ ineptitude to make radio viable. Among the 25 years to get ready to get ready to conduct a review of the radio regulations, forcing radio to adhere to 50 year old airplay rules, and no head into year 3 of a moratorium on new FM radio applications, I have learned to move on from that and find something else to be irritated about.

I also grew impatient waiting for radio owners to take control of their product and get back to  some of the things that connected them with listeners.

Now comes something new for me to make a scowly face about.

Watching podcasters focus on their video instead of the audio. A few weeks ago, I told you about a high production video show with amazing mics and a great set, yet there was echo throughout the room. There was no intro to the show and it was largely an inaudible experience. The repairs were simple: Some soundproofing and recorded intro and you are off to the races.

🔥 Now let me introduce you to another podcast disaster. 🔥

This show has cut the budget on their audio production and shipped it overseas. Here’s what their drastic savings earned them. The “editor” was using Capcut to edit the video and taking the audio at -26lufs and uploading it as a podcast. The show went from a clean sounding experience to poor quality.

✂️ These are the sorts of cost cutting that landed radio into the trouble its having ✂️

The one thing you need to do to make sure you are keeping your show on track is to self-check each episode. Listen to your show on the plane, train or automobile. Listen at the gym or vacuuming. It doesn’t need to be the whole show; just the intro, a few minutes of content, and the extro. Does It fill the speakers or headphones? Would you listen to it if it were someone else’s show? What appeared in the mid-roll and was the transition seamless?

We are beginning to see evidence that half of YouTube “podcast” listeners are not even watching the show; they are listening to it. This is something that researchers are going to need to look into more in the future.

There are also far more ears available to listen to your show than eyes. So focus on getting that right.

By all means carry video. Make that great too. But understand that great sounding audio is podcasting’s calling card. The listener does not have time for your shit audio.

🧐 There’s research coming on that.

Live on the Internet Last Week

My Friend Jon Gay (aka JAG) has just rebranded his company to JAG Podcast Productions. He also travelled to Podcast Movement and survived to tell the tale on the Podcast Superfriends episode. I apologize for producing my part of the show in a noisy room with the wrongmic. Life on the road. (Again…. your sound matters right?)

The Best Thing I Listened to This Week

Todd Cochrane Will Be Missed

I cannot express how much Todd Cochrane meant to my career over the last 10 years. Todd was the founder of Blubrry - a podcast hosting company. He was also the host of the New Media Show with Rob Greenlee. Earlier this year I was honored to fill in for Todd on the show when he was travelling. I also was a guest on the show sometime during the pandemic. He said if you listen to the New Media Show long enough, you could get a PhD in Podcasting. I am proud to say that he said I listened enough to earn one.

Todd appeared on my show three times. I put together a best of collection of some of the things he said on the show that resonated with me.

You can listen to it here.

Here is the Obituary from Podnews.

Do You Want To Be On The Show?

I had someone tell me just before we started a show that they were surprised that I had not asked them to appear on the program before. I only get to do 52 of these a year and sometimes I need a gentle reminder. Simple. Book or call with me. Or Just DM me. Or tell me WHO should be a guest on the show. All feedback welcome.

Voiceover Info Here

I mentioned last time that I made s big purchase. It is for my voiceover business but it is not a microphone. It was this Studiobricks Studio. Since moving, I have had trouble securing a really awesome vocal sound for commercials and other voice work. There are just too many airplanes, leaf blowers, and room echo to cope with. The studio was shipped from Barcelona and arrived in Winnipeg. It tears down somewhat easily and can be moved to another part of planet if need be. I’m in the process of putting a camera in there for no reason other than I have a camera in there.